Game shares his rise from being a gangbanger in Compton to becoming one of the West Coast’s biggest hip-hop stars on VH1’s “Behind the Music.” Born the son of a postal worker and poet/hair stylist, Jayceon Taylor describes a rough childhood filled with drugs and violence, with testimonies from his parents, grandmother, and fiancée.

During the one-hour episode, he shares harrowing stories of his father’s troubled past, including the times he abused his mother and sexually assaulted his 11-year-old stepdaughter. “He turned into a monster overnight,” recalled Game.

Jayceon was placed in foster care at age 7 and had dreams of being an NBA star until he got involved with the Bloods and started selling marijuana. “They offer you everything that you ever wanted in your life—a lot of money, camaraderie,” he said.

After losing his best friend to gang violence, he started to reevaluate his decisions. Find out how he turned his life around when “Behind the Music: Game” airs Thursday at 9 p.m. Watch a 9-minute sneak peek below.